The First Female Photojournalist In Japan Doesn't Let Age Slow Her Down

by N/A, 10 years ago | 2 min read

When you've spent your whole life blazing a trail for an entire nation of women, retirement isn't really on your to-do list.

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Tsuneko Sasamoto, Japanese photo-journalist, is what you might call an "experienced photographer."

Not only did she begin her career as a photo-journalist nearly 75 years ago, but she is also considered to be Japan's first female photo-journalist.

Now, at the ripe old age of 101, she continues pursuing her passion for photography, despite breaking her wrist and both her legs last year.

Sasamoto became a professional photographer when she was just 25...

[Dome in Hiroshima after bombing, 1953]

Not long into her career, she garnered acclaim for her ongoing chronicle of pre and post-war Japan.

[Geisha School, 1951]

And despite being exposed to extreme dangers, and at times, risking her own life...

[Soho Tokutomi, 1957]

Sasamoto's curiosity always drove her to capture what others wouldn't.

â€œPretty scared but curious, donâ€™t like it but want to see it. I feel compelled to face the world and let people know what I see, just want to have the pictures takenâ€¦â€ said Sasamoto toÂ Zaikei News.

[Antarctic ship Soya, 1956]

Pictures of times in Japan that others failed to capture - images that would have otherwise gone unlogged.

[Politician Inejiro Asanuma, 1955]

And now, over 75 years later, Sasamoto is still curiously photographing the world around her.

â€œYou should never become lazy. Itâ€™s essential to remain positive about your life and never give up,â€ Sasamoto tellsÂ NHK.Â

With over a century of life experience under her belt, she's learned more than just a few enduring truths. But she has one in particular that she wants to impart to others.

â€œYou need to push yourself and stay aware, so you can move forward. Thatâ€™s what I want people to know.â€

Life advice from a renowned trailblazer who's seen 100 years of this world? I'd say those are words worth heeding.

Watch the interview with Sasamoto by NHK: